New England Patriots
For the first time since 2019, the Patriots are AFC East champions.
For the first time since 2019, the New England Patriots are back atop the AFC East.
New England officially clinched its first divisional crown since the Tom Brady era on Sunday, winning the division a few hours after the Patriots came away with a 42-10 victory over the Jets.
The Patriots (13-3) had to wait a few more hours to clinch the AFC East — with New England cementing its spot atop the division after the Bills fell to the Eagles at Highmark Stadium in a nail-biter, 13-12.
With that loss for Buffalo, the Bills fall to 11-5 on the season and can’t catch the Patriots in the standings with just one regular season game left on the docket.
New England celebrated their AFC East title after arriving back at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night — showcasing their new gear, including T-shirts that read, “Been there, WON that.”
As a result of the Patriots’ win over the Jets and the Bills’ setback against Philly, the Patriots — if they don’t leapfrog the Broncos for the No. 1 seed in the AFC East — will hold home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, if not longer if they continue to take on lower-seeded teams.
An AFC East crown stands as just the first step in what the Patriots hope are many accolades and achievements seized in the next few months.
But Mike Vrabel and the Patriots stressed last week after a comeback win over the Ravens — a victory that clinched a playoff berth — that winning the AFC East was still a top point of emphasis this season.
“We’re going to try to win the division. We’re going to focus on that,” Mike Vrabel said after last week’s win over Baltimore. “I’m excited. All the credit to the players. When we win, it’s because of them.”
“To win the division, that’s what we’re fighting for,” Drake Maye added. “It’s awesome to clinch the playoffs, but we want to win the division.”
Prior to this season, the Bills had won the AFC East for each of the last five seasons.
No. 1 seed still up for grabs
Even with the AFC East now wrapped up, New England still has plenty to play for entering their regular-season finale against the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.
A win alone against the Dolphins next weekend won’t directly lead to New England clinching the top seed in the AFC.
New England will also need the Broncos to lose their regular season finale against the Chargers in Denver next week in order to jump ahead of them in the standings.
New England and Denver hold identical 13-3 records, but the Broncos hold the tie-breaker over the Patriots thanks to their better record against common opponents.
While New England opened the season with a Week 1 loss to the lowly Raiders, the Broncos beat Las Vegas twice during AFC West divisional play.
So if New England wants to clinch the No. 1 seed next week, it’s going to need to both take care of business against Miami and bank on the Chargers going into Empower Field at Mile High and coming away with a win.
That might be asking a lot for the Chargers, who won’t be playing for a chance to beat out Denver for the AFC West title after losing to the Texans on Saturday night.
The Patriots would benefit in a major way if they’re able to clinch the No. 1 seed next weekend.
Beyond New England holding home-field advantage all the way through the AFC Championship game, the Patriots would also be granted a first-round bye in the playoffs — giving a banged-up roster a much-needed respite before the AFC Divisional Round.
Currently, New England is the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
But a loss to the Dolphins wouldn’t just eliminate New England’s hopes of winning the top seed.
The Patriots could drop down to the No. 3 seed if they fall to Miami and the 12-4 Jaguars win their regular-season finale against the Titans. Those results would have New England and Jacksonville stuck with identical 13-4 records, with the Jags holding the tie-breaker over the Patriots.
Current AFC playoff matchups
If the season ended on Sunday, the Patriots would hold the No. 2 seed in the AFC and host the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Wild Card round.
- No. 1 Broncos: BYE
- No. 2 Patriots vs. No. 7 Bills
- No. 3 Jaguars vs. No. 6 Chargers
- No. 4 Steelers vs. No. 5 Texans
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